How to Foster Intimacy With Your Reader
Reading, writing & storytelling revisited.
As readers, we long for stories that make us feel deeply. As writers, we strive to create that experience, but sometimes fall short.
The answer lies in fostering an intimate connection with our reader. We can achieve this by allowing ourselves to be vulnerable as we write, by reading stories that move us, and by expanding our view of storytelling.
Here’s how a recent read enlightened me.
It’s more of a conversation
Recently, I listened to American country music legend Willie Nelson’s autobiography on audiobook, It’s a Long Story: My Life. The singer-songwriter fascinated me with the story of his life — anecdotes, adventure, love, loss, success, and failure tossed in.
He bared his soul.
It made me feel like we were shooting the breeze while I sat across the table from him. Clearly, he knows a thing or two about storytelling and how to establish a connection with his fans.
He recalled listening to the radio as a child, and that “when Frank Sinatra sang the popular songs of the day, he marveled at the natural way he told a story.” That feeling, that quality is what Nelson deemed ‘intimacy’, though he says he didn’t…
